The daily grind can be a drain on my creative juices. I haven't been making enough time for the urge I have to create - whether through my paintings or photography.
I love to use science to motivate my decisions. Being an artist and base my existence on facts may seem contradictory, but the other half of my existence is based on facts, and I cannot seem to separate the two. It was a long struggle for me to accept that Yin and Yang are the essence of my life. Neglecting the strict rules of facts and the black-and-white nature of it leaves me feeling like a loose cannon, and everything is out of control. But, without enough time spent behind the easel or using my camera, I lose the quietness necessary to generate energy for everyday life.
To this end, I am kindly referring you to an article on #WebMD that discusses the mental advantages of hobbies (Health Benefits of Hobbies (webmd.com). Clever people recommend that we take time to indulge in our favorite activities, which can improve both our physical and mental health. Overall well-being is enhanced, stress is lowered, mental health is encouraged, and relationships are strengthened.
Neuroscience News suggests that hobbies can help alleviate depression by affecting the reward system in the brain. Today, we're not talking about depression. I'm only confirming the importance of scheduling time for our hobbies, such as art and photography, in my case.
In my opinion, the biggest obstacle we face is the notion that hobbies are time spent doing activities that are less significant than taking on serious responsibilities. If we can accept how important it is to balance the weight of family, jobs, and world peace with the need to focus on the softer side of creativity, we will have won the case for prioritising time for our creative activities.
So, how do we do this? How can we ensure that the 'hobby' slot doesn't appear to be an excuse to do nothing important?
I aim to dedicate a full day to my art, not just a few hours every day. It is difficult to switch on or off the process of getting into the piece I'm working on, connecting with the emotion of the photoshoot I'm busy editing, or unraveling what I'm trying to show with the images I capture with my camera. My goal is to allocate at least two days a week to my creative side, which is necessary to energize the heavier side.
I scrutinized the activities that occupy my time. After tracking my activities each day, I realized how much time I was wasting on things that were not crucial, and I began to eliminate them, like doomscrolling. I have switched to focusing on my hobbies instead of trying to know everything that's happening in the world.
My art is integrated into my income source. My job involves creating social media posts for others, which is also creative and allows me to tap into that creative outlet. Switching over to the current art project is also made easier.
It's important that we delegate a little more. I am guilty of striving to do everything myself because it is the only way I feel it will be done correctly. This statement is false, and secondly, it takes away the time we need to maintain ourselves.
Don't try to reinvent the wheel. There's a reason you are living at this age. People have come up with ways to do things in the best way possible and accepting that can save us time. We can make better use of that time.
Combine your art with socialising. Find a painting or photography group to join or form your own group. By doing that, we can learn from one another, and we won't reschedule so easily.
With only a few tweaks, I'm gaining momentum and I'm looking back on my weeks with a sense of fulfillment for what I've accomplished artistically.
I am hopeful that this insight into my struggle to manage my time better helps you in attaining the same objective.
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